Understanding how targeted, conservation-driven decisions can strengthen wildlife habitat and hunter and angler access in Nevada

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and many Nevada-based conservation organizations, oppose large-scale public land sales and approach any land management discussion through the lens of conservation outcomes and public access. This blog includes a breakdown on how current legislation could impact the future of public land management in the Silver State.

In my last blog, you read about my 2025 pronghorn archery hunt on public land. I am so grateful to live in a state that affords me these hunting opportunities.

Like me, most hunters who are lucky enough to draw a big game tag in Nevada will likely hunt on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. At 48 million acres, Nevada has more BLM-managed lands within its borders than any other state in the West.

These millions of acres of public lands are a big part of why I love Nevada and call it my home. Our public lands provide space to roam freely, hunt, fish, hike, and recreate, and that is what Nevada, and the American West, is all about. Public lands uniquely define our country and so many American lives. Our public lands are not just places to hunt and fish, they are working landscapes that support wildlife, sustain our access, and supports local economies. That is why the TRCP, our partners, and most Nevada-based sporting and conservation groups remain firmly opposed to large-scale public land sales and believe that any discussion about public land management must prioritize long-term conservation, public access, and transparency above all else.

With these principles in mind, there is room for thoughtful discussion about how Nevada can address growth, conservation, and access challenges without sacrificing the public lands that define our hunting and fishing heritage. A few such targeted exchanges have taken place in Nevada. These efforts were well recognized as bipartisan, collaborative efforts between lawmakers, state and federal agencies, conservation groups, and sportsmen and women.

While the vast majority of public lands should remain public, there are a small number of cases where the sale or transfer of carefully vetted parcels would make sense, so long as the funds generated from those sales are directed back into conservation efforts on public lands in the states that they were sold. These select acres tend to be lands close to existing communities that no longer possess quality wildlife habitat or offer hunting and fishing opportunities. When conducted properly, these transactions can convert low-quality parcels with poor habitat and low recreational value into conservation wins by reinvesting the proceeds into public lands with high-quality habitat, recreational opportunities, and securing access to the places that matter most to hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationalists.

The important discussion now is how to distinguish between public lands with the greatest habitat, wildlife, recreational, cultural, and conservation values and those lands that are suitable for disposal to achieve responsible growth. We need tools like the recently released onX map, which identifies BLM lands marked for potential disposal through a formal administrative process. We must also ensure public engagement with state and federal agencies and lawmakers throughout the decision-making process.

Our public lands are not just places to hunt and fish, they are working landscapes that support wildlife, sustain our access, and supports local economies. That is why the TRCP, our partners, and most Nevada-based sporting and conservation groups remain firmly opposed to large-scale public land sales and believe that any discussion about public land management must prioritize long-term conservation, public access, and transparency above all else.

Current Legislation for Nevada’s Public Land Management Future

The Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act 2025 (H.R. 2317), introduced by Representative Mark Amodie, the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act 2025 (S.1195) and the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act (S. 462) both introduced by Senator Jackie Rosen, and the Southern Nevada  Economic Development and Conservation Act (S.1005) introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto are four examples of legislation aimed at reshaping public land management in northern Nevada. These bills encourage economic development, cultural land use, and wildlife conservation.

The two bills specifically related to my 2025 hunting season in northern Nevada—H.R. 2317 and S. 1195—will help address the public and private land ownership issues of checkerboarding. By allowing the sale of some carefully vetted public land parcels and the exchange of others, large sections of public and private lands will become contiguous, allowing for greater economic development and greater public access to once-landlocked public lands.

Additionally, H.R. 2317 and S. 1195 would remove land management constraints that have made needed habitat restoration efforts more difficult, while setting aside roughly 136,000 acres for conservation and wildlife habitat. While S.1005 and S.462 primarily focus on Washoe and Clark counties, they are examples of how major conservation wins can be achieved through small well-vetted transfers of public lands. These two bills would conserve nearly 1,700,000 acres through new or expanded Wilderness areas. This would represent one of the largest conservation gains in Nevada benefiting hunters and anglers.

The bills include the requirement that proceeds from public land sales would be dispersed similar to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, keeping the proceeds in Nevada to help fund public schools (5%), infrastructure (10%), and the future conservation restoration of public lands and wildlife habitat (85%).

H.R. 2317, S. 1195, S. 462, and S.1005 all represent bipartisan, conservation collaboration between lawmakers, invested stakeholders, NGO’s, and the public. They emerged from a multi-year collaborative process involving local governments, developers, hunting/fishing groups, and Tribal governments dating back to 2016. They all mirror the structure of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, but with clear parcel-by-parcel selection for additional transparency. Supporters praise the balanced inclusion of development, conservation, and Tribal equity. As written and unamended, the conservation language, Wilderness designations, and revenue structure have earned these bills support from several Nevada sporting and conservation groups that have worked closely with Representative Amodie, Senator Rosen, and Senator Cortez-Masto.

The foundation of these four pieces of legislation can inform future discussions in other states about public lands management and how those conversations must prioritize transparency, long-term conservation, and public hunting and fishing access.

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to public land HERE.

Read Part I of this two-part series on public lands in Nevada, as TRCP’s Nevada field representative shares a spot-and-stalk archery pronghorn hunt.